The invention relates to a connecting arrangement between a wheel-guiding link of a vehicle wheel suspension and a flange of a carrier or the like wherein a bolt passes through a slot in the carrier flange or in the link. For prior art, reference is made to DE 10 2011 007 621 A1 and DE 10 2004 015 048 A1.
By way of such an arrangement, it is possible for wheel-guiding links to be connected to an axle carrier or a wheel carrier, both of which are generally referred to herein as a “carrier”, wherein the bolt is usually formed by a screw onto which is mounted a nut that clamps the link and the carrier with respect to one another. It is customary for a suitably designed rubber bearing or articulation to be provided or arranged in such a connecting arrangement. In the case of a construction comparable to the aforementioned DE 10 2004 015 048 A1 with an interposed bearing holder, the bearing holder will be assigned in the terminology of the present invention to the “link” or the “carrier” depending on the detailed configuration.
For safety reasons, it may be desired for such a connecting arrangement to be released, in particular in the event of a vehicle crash, but also, where appropriate, during the occurrence of abnormal forces caused in some other way, which is generally designated as “external force-based” in the present case. For this purpose, the object of the present invention is to provide another advantageous design.
This and other objects are achieved for a connecting arrangement between a wheel-guiding link of a vehicle wheel suspension and a flange of a carrier or the like, wherein a bolt passes through a slot in the carrier flange or in the link, by providing a cutter structure which, during the occurrence of a sufficiently high tensile or compressive force directed against the wall of the slot, severs the wall and thus allows the connecting arrangement to be released.
According to the invention, a cutter or the like, here referred to as “cutter structure”, for severing or breaking open the wall of the slot receiving the bolt is provided. The cutter structure becomes effective when a correspondingly high force acts and, during the occurrence of said force, the connecting arrangement should be released. This force acts first of all on the cutter and from there on the wall or a portion thereof on which the cutter impinges such that the cutter at least damages the wall to such an extent that, with further action of force in a direction at least partially perpendicular to the bolt longitudinal axis, the bolt slides, as it were, laterally out of the slot. Thereupon, the link is separated as desired from the carrier. Here, the force may be a compressive force acting on the bolt at least partially perpendicular to its longitudinal axis or a tensile force which acts on the link or on the carrier and which causes at least a slight displacement of these two elements with respect to one another in such a way that the suitably provided cutter or cutter structure can act in the manner described.
Here, a cutter structure according to the invention is distinguished by minimal structural outlay and, in any case when the cutter structure is provided within the slot, by a negligibly low overall space requirement. A cutter or a cutter structure here is intended to mean a cutting edge or the like which has a certain hardness and is therefore capable, when impinging on an object which has a lesser hardness than it, at least of damaging it in the impinging region. When applied to the range of action of a cutter structure according to the invention on a connecting arrangement of the type discussed above, the wall of the slot should at least be damaged, preferably even broken open, by an external force-based impingement of the cutter structure (under the effect of a certain minimum force) to such an extent that the bolt can pass through the damaged point, whereupon this connecting arrangement is released as desired.
The cutter structure can be provided on the mounted bolt itself. In this case, it substantially lies within the slot. Alternatively, a suitable cutter or cutter structure can be provided on a screw nut screwed onto the bolt or on a disk between the flange or the link and said screw nut or on a screw head of the bolt. The cutter structure preferably extends in each case in a suitable manner into the slot in such a way that, after at least a slight external force-based displacement, the cutter structure can impinge on a wall portion of this slot. Here, an anti-rotation device on the element bearing the cutter structure (for example, on an aforementioned disk) can ensure that, in the mounted state, the cutter is oriented in the desired direction. The latter is not required if the cutter structure is held or supported in the slot itself on a wall portion surrounding it, for example via a narrow web which breaks during a corresponding external force-based displacement of the link or carrier. In such a case, the bolt impinges on the cutter structure and subsequently presses it there against the wall of the slot, where this wall is intended to be broken open.
In order to promote the breaking-open of the wall surrounding the slot in the case of an external force-based impingement of the cutter, it is possible to provide in this wall a suitable predetermined breaking point, which is designed to break open or break through the wall portion loaded by the impinging cutter structure. For example, such a predetermined breaking point can be embodied in the form of a local weakening of the wall portion or of a slit provided therein; however, it is also possible for the portion, which is to be broken open under corresponding external force action, of the wall surrounding the slot to be provided in a plane adjacent to the other wall region of the slot, with the result that a step, as it were, is formed in the wall surrounding the slot. Moreover, such a step or a step formed in some other way can also be provided in the relatively narrow or relatively wide bearing region of a screw head of the bolt or of a screw nut screwed thereon and of the wall of the carrier flange or link. This is referred to as a slide step which supports an at least slight displacement of the cutter structure during the occurrence of a sufficiently high tensile or compressive force in that at least a reduced clamping force if any acts on the bolt after the external force-based coverage of a slight distance. This emerges particularly clearly from the first of the exemplary embodiments explained hereinbelow.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.